Infusion
by Azarelinor
Summary: It is not uncommon to find individuals practicing more archaic forms of dust manipulation, such as weaving it into clothing, or even fusing it directly with their own bodies. Jaune Arc had always thought that he would be a hero, standing against the darkness with weapon in hand. But when he loses Crocea Mors during initiation, he finds that not all weapons are physical in form.
1. Initiate Infusion

Chapter 1: Initiate Infusion

I've always been a little fascinated with the idea of dust in RWBY. There seem to be so many uses for it, but we rarely see it used to its full potential, despite the fact that one of the main characters is the heiress to one of the largest dust companies. This fic will explore the potential uses of dust in combat and everyday lives, as well as delve into some of the more esoteric forms of dust manipulation as described by the World of Remnant mini series (which part of the summary is taken from).

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. That honor goes to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum (may he rest in peace).

* * *

' _This is bad,'_ Jaune thought as he flailed helplessly through the air. _'This is very, very bad. Who the heck would have expected to be launched through the air as part of initiation?'_

He broke out of his panic as he spotted something flying towards him. He squinted at the red and gold object as it flew through the air, and his eyes widened as he realized that a spear was on a direct collision course with him, wind whistling as it cut through the air.

"Oh crap!" He exclaimed, reaching for his sheath and sword. Pressing the button, he unfolded his sheath into a shield just in time to block the spear with a clang, sending it spinning through the air. "That was way too close," he muttered, before remembering his current predicament. He looked over his shoulder, and his eyes went wide as he saw a tree rushing up to meet him. He twisted, interposing the shield between the tree and his body as he braced himself.

He bit back a scream as he smashed into the trunk, his shield ripped from his arm and his sword torn from his grasp by the impact. He reached out with his uninjured arm, his hand clenching tightly around a branch to prevent himself from falling even as he kept his injured arm still. Gritting his teeth, he pulled himself up onto the branch and lay there, panting, for several seconds. He forced himself to his feet and looked down. "That's a long way down," he murmured to himself. He gingerly made his way to the trunk of the tree and hesitantly hopped down to a large branch beneath him. It quivered when he landed, but held. Breathing a sigh of relief, he carefully continued his decent. When he reached one of the bottom branches he lowered himself by one hand and let go, falling to a crouch on the ground. He winced in pain as his injured arm protested his fall.

"I hope it's not broken," he muttered, testing its range of movement. His arm protested, but he didn't feel the bone shift, and he let out a relieved sigh before straightening. He needed Crocea Mors; he'd be in grave danger even if he had it, but danger was always better than the certain death of encountering Grimm unarmed. In all honesty he had no idea what direction to check first, but the sword and shield couldn't have gone very far. He looked around to see if there was any sign of where they might have fallen, but couldn't find any. He grimaced and began to quietly move through the forest in a random direction.

It was unnerving to be alone without a weapon in the forest. The silence was eerie, but he almost preferred it to those few moments when he heard something move in the forest, prompting him to freeze and look around, terrified that he would be attacked by Grimm. Nothing ever came of it, but the fear remained. Grimm could smell fear, and that knowledge prompted a vicious cycle, terror rising with each passing second. He nearly sobbed with relief as he spotted the sun reflecting off of an object in a bush. He scrambled forward, nearly tripping over himself in the process, and pushed the leaves aside.

"Whoa," he breathed, awe overriding his fear. "Is that… dust?" A large yellow dust crystal jut out of the ground, and he carefully dug it out and held it up to the light, admiring the way the sun reflected off its surface. It was large enough that even wrapping both hands around it his fingers barely reached each other, and he stared in wonder as it gleamed in the light. Then reality set in, and he let out a sigh. "A dust crystal this big is nice I suppose," he mumbled dejectedly, "but in this situation, I would really, _really_ prefer Crocea Mors." He stood, keeping a tight grip on the crystal; it might not be very useful to him now, but if he got out of initiation alive…

A soft, low growl came from behind him, filled with menace and rage. He turned around slowly, hoping against hope that it had been his imagination, only to come face to muzzle with a large Beowulf. His blue eyes locked with the Beowulf's red, and he gulped, taking a step back. The Grimm's eyes narrowed and it roared, darting forward with incredible speed. Jaune yelped and leapt to the side as it flew by, snapping angrily at his arm. He hissed in pain as jaws ripped at his flesh, leaving deep gouges in his skin. He stumbled back as the Beowulf spun to face him, growling, before turning and sprinting away. It gave chase, and he could hear its howls slowly gaining on him as he fled, before slowly dying down. He chanced a glance over his shoulder, coming to a stop as he realized there was nothing behind him.

"I must have outpaced it," he gasped, chest heaving and sweat dripping from his brow. He caught his breath and looked around cautiously, crystal held tightly in his hand. "That was way too close," he muttered, straightening up. "I need to find Crocea Mors and get to the temple before something attacks me again." One hand flew to his mouth as if to take the words back, and he shifted into a defensive stance, looking suspiciously around the forest. On seeing nothing, he relaxed slightly but remained prepared to flee at the first sign of danger.

He tore off a part of his shirt and wrapped his arm in it, preventing more blood from being lost, warily eying his surroundings. A slight rustling was his only warning as the Beowulf charged out from the undergrowth, and he barely had time to turn and face it before it slammed into him.

He fell, managing to interpose the hand that wasn't clutching the crystal between the Grimm and his face. He couldn't hold back the scream that erupted from his mouth as the Beowulf latched onto his arm and bit down, teeth scraping against bone. It gnawed on his arm, and he felt himself begin to black out from the pain, but forced himself to remain conscious. _'It can't end like this,'_ he thought desperately. _'Not like this. I was going to be a huntsman! I… I don't want to die!'_

He felt something well up from within, light erupting from his body and forcing the Beowulf back with a pained whimper. He stood up, clutching his arm, only to stare in awe as his arm healed, skin visibly flowing over the wound to seal it shut. He was so entranced that he didn't notice the Beowulf charge until it was too late to do anything but throw up his arm as he closed his eyes. He was bowled over from the force, but aside from the impact he didn't feel anything.

He cautiously opened his eyes to find the Grimm clawing and snapping at him, but its attacks were deflected by a faint veil of light that clung to his skin. He would have laughed in relief had there not been a snarling Beowulf on top of him. He lay there, desperately trying to think of a way out of the situation. He felt pinpricks of pain as the light covering him flickered, and his gaze darted to the crystal. He knew that dust was incredibly potent; perhaps if he could harness it…

He swung the crystal with all his might at the Beowulf, smashing into its head with an audible thunk. The crystal shattered, and the Beowulf just shook its head and glared at him, eyes promising a painful death. _'Well, that didn't work,'_ he thought to himself. The veil of light flickered one last time and died, and the Beowulf roared in triumph, claws ripping a gash down his chest. He shrieked, and in a surge of adrenaline, threw the Beowulf off of him. He rolled onto his hands, desperate to get up and run, but was slammed into the ground, shards of crystal stabbing into his wound as the Beowulf leapt on top of him. Time seemed to slow down as he glanced over his shoulder as the Grimm prepared to end his life, and he shut his eyes.

What seemed like a second or two later, he opened his eyes, confused at the lack of pain. The Beowulf's claw moved through the air as though it was molasses, and as he stared, he could feel a frantic energy start to build within him. He didn't fight it, embracing the surge as it raced through his body. He screamed as it reached the surface, light once more erupted from his body. The Beowulf howled as a clap of thunder echoed through the forest, and it was thrown from his prone form. Its howl became a whimper before going silent as its body disintegrated, black sand floating on the wind.

Jaune lay there, panting, as the adrenaline faded from his body. He groaned as the pain hit, but struggled to his feet. He glanced down at his wound, and winced at the crystals and ground dust that protruded from it. He gingerly reached for a crystal to pluck it out, but hesitated. Prying out all of the crystals would take time, and would aggravate his injury. Looking closely at the crystals, he could see they were almost… stuck to his wound. He swayed on his feet, woozy from blood loss, and he knew that he had to do _something_ to stop the bleeding.

He scooped up a handful of the larger fragments of crystal and cautiously held them to the wound. He bit back a scream as lightning arced, but before he could pull them away they merged with his body and the pain died. He felt strength rush into him, and soft yellow light covered his wound, pulling the skin together. He relaxed as it closed, before realizing that the dust crystals were _beneath his skin_. He frantically scratched at his chest, trying to remove one of the large protrusions on his chest that indicated where a crystal had been.

As he attempted to remove them, the protrusions slowly faded, and his skin returned to normal. His scratching slowed and came to a stop as he stared at his healed chest. "What in the world was that?" He wondered, then shrugged. "Ah well, better get a move on! I need to find Crocea Mors and get to the temple!" Despite his recent close encounter, he was filled with energy, and immediately darted off into the forest, not noticing the brief sparks of electricity he left in his wake.

* * *

One of the main reasons I chose Jaune to play the role of the main character is because at the beginning of the series, he really doesn't have a fighting style. All the other characters have a very specific combat style, which limits them to only certain uses of dust. With Jaune, I can build his fighting style to incorporate using dust (within limits; dust is expensive, I imagine), which will hopefully result in more options when it comes to applications of dust. Until next time!


	2. Thunderstruck

Hot damn! 44 favorites and 61 follows in less than 24 hours after chapter one? My mind is blown. Thanks for all of the support! It means a lot to me to know that my stories are actually interesting. Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

* * *

Jaune ducked under a branch as he dashed through the forest at high speed. He felt exhilarated, and wanted to yell, holler, laugh, to give voice to the sheer energy he felt coursing through him, but he managed to hold it in check. He was in a forest teeming with Grimm, and even if they didn't necessarily know he was there, caution was key to survival. So he kept silent, and spent his energy in other ways; a flip over a tree trunk here, jumping on branches there; nothing that would slow him down or potentially alert any Grimm to his presence.

He scanned the forest even as he ran, keeping a careful eye out for any sign of Crocea Mors. He had a rough idea of how to get back to where he initially landed, and he was almost certain that it would be simple enough to find his lost weapon once there. Provided that he didn't encounter any Grimm, of course. He skidded to a stop in front of a tree that seemed familiar and glanced up. He squinted through the branches, eyes narrowing as he spotted a shield shaped indent in the trunk. A twig snapped behind him, and he spun, locking eyes with Pyrrha Nikos. He let out a sigh of relief before he noticed the red and gold spear she was carrying.

She took a step towards him, lifting up the hand holding her weapon. Jaune didn't bother waiting around for her to try and spear him again, and bolted off into the forest.

Pyrrha stared in confusion as the blond haired boy race off, her hand still raised in greeting. "Was it something I did?" She wondered, before noting that she'd raised the hand holding the spear. Her face lit up in realization, and she yelled after him, "I wasn't going to attack you! I was just waving! Come back!"

* * *

"When someone sees a spear flying at them at while they're falling from the sky, their first thought isn't going to be 'Oh good that spear is going to catch me by my hoodie and stop my fall.' It's going to be 'Oh crap, I'm falling from the sky at high speed _and_ someone threw a spear at me. Why Oum, why?!'"

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha cringed. "You just seemed like you were having a little trouble with your landing strategy, so I thought I'd help out."

Jaune opened his mouth to retort, but closed it and thought for a moment. "Okay, so maybe I was in a little bit of trouble," he admitted. "But still, when someone sees a weapon flying at them in a tense situation, they're going to block it." On seeing Pyrrha's dejected expression he hastily added, "I do appreciate you looking out for me though! If I had known that you were trying to save me from falling, I wouldn't have blocked it."

She looked up at him and smiled such a heartfelt smile that he couldn't help but blush and look away. "So… we're partners right? Unless you've found someone else of course."

She shook her head, still smiling. "No," she said happily, "You're the first person I've seen in the forest. By the way, what are we looking for?"

"Crocea Mors," he murmured distractedly, peering past the branches of a bush before sighing dejectedly. Noticing her confused expression he explained, "Crocea Mors is my weapon. It's a family heirloom that my grandfather used to fight in the war. I know I lost it somewhere around here when I fell, but I just can't find it."

"It's metal right?" Pyrrha asked, and he turned, noting something different in her tone. He nodded hesitantly, and she closed her eyes, her brows furrowing. "I think…" she said as she opened her eyes, "We should look over there." She pointed off into the forest. He stared at her for a moment before checking the direction she was pointing.

"Holy crap, how did you do that?" Jaune exclaimed, coming out of the brush with the sword in hand.

"Well," she drew out the word, "I can use my semblance to determine the general direction of larger metal objects. Polarity is my semblance; I can control magnetism." She explained when he tilted his head.

"No, I know what polarity is," he said, waving a hand. "But what's a semblance?"

She looked at him strangely. "Semblance is a tangible manifestation of our aura… you do know what aura is, right?"

"Well… no." He admitted sheepishly.

"Aura is essentially the light of our soul given form," she said gently. "It heals our ills and protects us from harm. Semblance is, like I said, a tangible manifestation of our aura. A person's semblance is a reflection of the state and shape of their soul, often derived from someone's greatest wish. For example, if someone were able to fly with their semblance, that might indicate that they have a whimsical personality or wish to leave the world behind."

"Whoa," Jaune whispered. "That sounds pretty awesome. How do you unlock your aura?"

"I can do it for you!" She offered brightly, stepping forward and placing her hands on his shoulders. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before reciting, "For it is in passing that we…" she trailed off, frowning. "Jaune?" She asked hesitantly. "Do you have your aura already unlocked? If you're placed in an incredibly stressful situation then sometimes it will forcibly unlock itself to save you."

Jaune's face lit up in realization. "Oh, so _that's_ what that light was! When I encountered a Beowulf without Crocea Mors, I nearly died. But then this light erupted and healed my wounds."

She nodded, smiling. "That does sound like aura. How did you get away from the Beowulf?" She tilted her head curiously. "They're pretty fast, and they're not likely to let unarmed humans go."

"I think," Jaune said slowly, "that might be due to my semblance. The Beowulf tackled me after I unlocked my aura, but then I… did something, and suddenly it was blown off my back in a burst of lightning."

"That's very impressive," she murmured, eying him up and down. "I haven't ever heard of anyone unlocking their semblance that quickly. You must have a lot of potential."

He laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe? I think that anyone could have done it if they were in the same situation as I was."

"Perhaps," she conceded, "but it's still impressive."

Jaune desperately searched for a conversation change; he had never been very good with praise. "Shall we go to the temple?" He asked, waving a hand northwards. "If we don't hurry, all the relics might be taken."

"And that would be terrible, right?" She asked, grinning at him as he laughed nervously. "But yes, we should make our way to the temple."

* * *

"Think this is it?" Jaune asked as they stood in front of the cave.

"I… don't know," Pyrrha said hesitantly. "This doesn't really look like a temple…"

"We could just check in briefly," he reasoned. "If it turns out that…"

Someone screamed in the distance. "Sounds like someone's in trouble," Jaune murmured, holding his sword tightly. "We should go help."

"Right," Pyrrha nodded firmly, weapon and shield jumping to her hands. She dashed toward the scream, Jaune hot on her tail.

Less than a minute later, they burst into a large clearing, slowing down as they noticed the six other people standing in front of an overgrown ruin, chess pieces sitting atop the pillars in the middle of the temple.

"Hey Jaune!" Ruby waved cheerfully. "How's it going?"

"Uh… fine I guess," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "We heard screaming from this direction. You wouldn't happen to know who that was, would you?"

She laughed nervously. "Nope! No idea! But I'm absolutely positive they're fine!"

He looked at her for a second, and she looked away, whistling. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't comment, instead walking up to a pillar carrying a white rook. "These are the relics, right?" He asked, more for confirmation than anything.

"Unless you see any other temples around here filled with manmade objects," Weiss interrupted, gesturing at the surrounding forest, "then I think that it's pretty safe to say that this is where we're supposed to be."

"Alright, alright," Jaune grinned. "No need to be so cold, Snow Angel. You'll warm up to me eventually." He winked and grabbed the chess piece. She huffed, rolled her eyes and turned away.

Ruby patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay," she said seriously. "Weiss might seem cold on the outside, but on the inside she's actually a really nice person. Anyway," her voice rose, capturing everyone's attention. "We have the relics; we should probably go before that Nevermore shows back up."

"What Nevermore?" Jaune asked, puzzled. An inhuman screech rang out from above, and he looked up, eyes widening as he saw the enormous Grimm.

"That Nevermore," Ruby muttered dejectedly. "Weiss and I took a ride on its back. Apparently it doesn't like hitchhikers."

"We should move," Ren said quietly. "There's no point in fighting a Grimm of that size, even with eight of us. We have what we came for."

"That would only work if the Nevermore was willing to let us go," Jaune retorted. "Somehow I don't think it is." As if to prove his point, the Nevermore screeched again, the sound high and piercing. "We should fight it here. It's open enough that if we force it to land, it won't be able to get off the ground easily."

"And how should we do that?" Yang asked, readying her gauntlets. "I like the idea, but unless someone here is packing anti-air weaponry, we're not going to be able to force it to do _anything_. Its feathers are too durable for standard weapons."

"Ooh!" Nora raised a hand high in the air. "Magnhild and I can take it down!" She pat her hammer affectionately as it shifted into a grenade launcher, and she lifted it and aimed at the Nevermore.

"Nora, Magnhild doesn't have the range to reach the Nevermore," Ren said gently. She pouted, but lowered her weapon.

"I… might be able to do something," Jaune said hesitantly. All eyes focused on him, and he had to stop himself from cringing. "I unlocked my semblance recently, and I might be able to hit the Nevermore. I don't know for sure, but if it doesn't work, we can always go with Ren's idea."

"It can't hurt," Blake spoke up. "Even if it fails, it isn't as though we've lost anything except a little bit of time."

He nodded. "You all might want to stand back," he warned. "I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, and if I explode like I did before I'd rather not hurt anyone." He closed his eyes and focused, reaching for the energy that raced through his body. It responded instantly, readying itself, and he opened his eyes. He extended an arm, sparks flying off of it as he took aim. He released the energy, and electricity burst from his fingertips. It raced through the air, only to fizzle a hundred feet away.

Ruby cautiously poked her head out from cover. "Was that it?" She asked, disappointed. "That was kind of cool I guess, but not what I was expecting."

"I guess I didn't work," he shrugged. He felt normal now, the energy that had previously raced through him gone. "I guess that was it."

"Wait," Weiss interrupted, eyes narrowed. "That wasn't a semblance at all. That was dust. Lightning dust to be precise."

He scratched the back of his head. "I suppose that's possible. I mean, I didn't have electric powers until some shards from a huge crystal of lightning dust I found were forced into my chest earlier today."

Her eyes widened. "What?" She whispered, staggering back as though struck. "You have _undiluted unpurified lightning dust_ in your body?" Her voice rose to a shriek. "How the _hell_ are you not dead?!"

"Is it really that dangerous?" Ruby asked meekly.

Weiss rounded on her, a manic gleam in her eyes. "Let me put it this way. The _last_ time someone had the bright idea of injecting undiluted unpurified dust into their bodies, they only used fine dust, and they _exploded_ with enough force to level a small building. With him," she jabbed a finger in his direction, "he has _actual crystals_ in him. _Actual. Fucking. Crystals._ I'm _amazed_ that we aren't all unconscious or dead right now." She ended her tirade, panting, and leveled a glare at him that was a mixture of anger and fear.

He nodded, gazing fearfully at his chest. "Well, it seems like that depleted the last of the energy in them," he offered. "I don't have the extra energy that I had before I used that attack."

She sighed in relief, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. "Thank Oum," she muttered. "The crystal must have been nearly out of power." She looked Jaune in the eyes and said, deadly serious, "I hope you realize how lucky you are. You could have easily died from having crystals in your body, and while I may not necessarily like you, I wouldn't wish a death like that on anyone. Be careful when messing with dust from now on." She held his gaze for a moment, checking to make sure that he understood what she was saying before turning away.

He exhaled, breathing out in relief. "If lightning isn't my semblance, what is?" He mused idly, bringing the white glow of his aura to the surface and staring at it. "What is…" he trailed off as he felt his aura… shift, energy transferring to something in his body. "You all should stand back," he warned, aura taking on an ominous yellow glow. Weiss took one look at him and ran, dashing for cover. The rest followed, and he noted Weiss erect an enormous sculpture of ice to protect them out of the corner of his vision.

He closed his eyes, relishing in the familiar rush of energy. He reached out once more, and he felt a surge race through his body, prompting him to open his eyes. Everything was moving more slowly, he noted as he raised his arms. They responded, but slowly and sluggishly, slowed by his perception. His gaze locked on the Nevermore as it seemed to drift lazily through the sky, and electricity surged, arcs of it covering his arms. He concentrated, sending all the energy he could muster to his arms. Lightning sparked, frantically lashing at the air, held back only by his control. He released it, and a beam of solid light burst forth, flashing through sky as thunder roared, echoing throughout the forest. Jaune was thrown to the ground by the blast, blinded by the light and deafened by the sound. He could feel blood trickling down from his ears as his aura worked frantically to repair the damage.

He barely had the energy to force himself to stand and blink the spots from his eyes. As his vision cleared, he stared in awe at the damage he had wrought. Sparks of electricity formed and vanished along the path the beam had traveled, and his gaze fell upon the Nevermore. One of its wings had a large hole ripped straight through the center, and it flapped desperately, trying to stay aloft. It eventually conceded defeat, drifting down to the other end of the clearing and glaring balefully.

"Whoa," Ruby breathed as she came to stand beside him. "That was…"

"Awesome!" Yang cheered, clapping him on the back. "You really clipped its wings, eh Vomit Boy? I'm shocked you had something like that in you!" She winked at him, and he wanted to groan at the puns, but lacked the energy to even do that.

Pyrrha laid a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the way lightning sparked at her touch. "Well done," she said warmly, giving him a gentle smile. "You've done the hard part; let us take care of the rest." He tried to protest, but she gently pushed him down into a sitting position. "Don't worry. With it grounded, we should be able to take it out with minimal casualties." She darted to join the others as they fought the Nevermore, leaving Jaune to sit there and watch as he tried to catch his breath.

* * *

"From this day forward you will work together as Team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc."

"Me?" Jaune whispered.

"Congratulations Jaune!" Pyrrha smiled at him. "I told you that you would make a great leader."

He grinned sheepishly as they descended the stairs to make room the next team. "It's just so much to take in, you know? I feel like I've forgotten something in all the chaos that happened today…"

"That happens to me quite often," she laughed. "Don't worry, it will pass quickly as you adjust."

"No, I feel like I've really forgotten something," he murmured, looking at the sword he still held in his hand. "Some sort of… Oh crap!" His eyes widened. "I forgot about my shield!"

* * *

Not as much combat as some of you were probably hoping for, but we'll get into that soon enough. This is meant to be a transition chapter, and lays a little bit of background for dust and how dangerous it is. I actually have a reason as to why Jaune was able to survive having dust shoved into his chest, but it might be a little while before that reason comes to light in the story. All I'll say is that it has to do with the interaction between dust and aura. Until next time!


	3. Basics

Chapter 3: Basics

It's time for class! Hope you all are ready to start learning about dust…

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

* * *

 _The Basics of Dust:_

 _Dust is the substance that powers civilization and prevents the Kingdoms from falling to the constant attacks of the Grimm. It is used for nearly everything, from vehicles to weapons to even simple ovens. Due to the amount of energy within a single crystal of dust, it is rare to find anything complex that does not feature dust in at least some small part of it. While other energy sources such as electricity and various chemicals do exist, they are inefficient and less reliable than dust._

 _Dust comes in four basic forms. Fire, red in color. Water, varying shades of blue. Earth, brown with flecks of very dark yellow interspersed. Wind, green in hue. These four basic forms are the building blocks for nearly every type of dust, with a few exceptions. Lightning is often considered to be a basic form of dust due to how easy it is to find naturally, but it is actually a combination of wind and fire dust in approximately three to one ratio._

* * *

"It's not funny!" Jaune complained, pointing his fork at Ruby. "Crocea Mors is a family heirloom that's been passed down for generations! Do you have any idea what my dad would say if he found out I left the shield in the middle of Emerald Forest?" He idly pat the sheath that rested at his side as if to make sure it was actually there.

"What would he say?" Ruby asked curiously, taking a bite out of a strip of bacon.

Jaune hesitated, rubbing the back of his head. "Erm… actually he'd probably remind me of the time he forgot his armor in his dorm room when he was at Beacon."

"How do you forget _armor_?" Blake asked incredulously, putting aside her book in order to join the conversation. "I can understand forgetting the shield: you had just unlocked your aura due to a near death experience. But forgetting your armor in your dorm room?" She shook her head in disbelief.

"Hey, my dad was good enough that he didn't need it," Jaune said defensively.

"Wait," Pyrrha tilted her head to the side. "If your father is a huntsman, why didn't you know what aura was?"

"Dad didn't actually want me to become a huntsman," Jaune admitted. "He thought it was too dangerous for me, but he did teach me basic swordsmanship and shield work, enough that I could develop my own style once I got the hang of it."

"I don't think we ever saw what you could do with your weapon," Ren said, eyeing his leader speculatively. "You must be quite skilled to be admitted into Beacon without aura."

"I'm actually not very good," he admitted, sweating internally. What would be a believable lie? "Uh… I think that I got in because of my dad," he muttered, mentally breathing a sigh of relief. "Not because of his recommendation or anything," he added hastily, "but because he's such an amazing hunter that they probably thought that since I was his son I had a lot of potential."

"I expected better of the Headmaster," Weiss said disapprovingly. "Admitting someone just because their father is a skilled huntsman is incredibly irresponsible. You could have been seriously injured. You _were_ seriously injured," she corrected herself.

"I didn't know you cared Snow Angel," Jaune said, a goofy grin on his face. She scoffed and turned her attention to her breakfast, clearly intent on ignoring him. He deflated and sighed, idly glancing up at the clock. "I'd better get to class," he muttered dejectedly.

"Wait, you have class now?" Yang asked curiously. "I thought that as first year students we all had the same schedule."

"Yesterday Professor Goodwitch told me that I had to join the second years for Dust Usage and Alchemy," he grumbled. "She said that since I had dust infused with my body, I would be learning how to use and mix the stuff to make sure that I don't blow up the school by accident."

She winced. "Ooh, that sucks. Second day of classes and you already have another class you have to go to."

"Don't I know it," he groaned, standing up from the table. "Well, I'd better get to class. See you guys later."

* * *

Jaune received a few strange looks when he entered the classroom, but no one commented on him, content to merely stare. He looked around for an empty seat, and spotted one near the wall. He sat down and pulled out his notebook, sighing silently in relief when he realized people were no longer staring before groaning when he realized he'd forgotten a pencil.

"Excuse me," he turned to his neighbor, grinning sheepishly. "Would you happen to have an extra pen or pencil I could use?"

She glanced over at him and raised a brow over her dark sunglasses before pulling out a pencil from her bag. "Here you go," she handed it to him, and he gratefully took it. "So who are you?" She asked, eying him closely. "You aren't in second year, and you look too young to be an upperclassman. What's a first year like you doing in a second year class?

He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Professor Goodwitch told me to join this class. She said that since I infused dust into my body during initiation I would have to learn how to use it."

She nodded. "Yeah, that would do it. Doing something like…" she did a double take, pulling off her sunglasses to get a better look at him. "Did you say that you implanted dust into your body during initiation?"

"Infused it," he corrected automatically, "but yeah."

She gave him an impressed look. "Damn. It takes some serious balls to do something like that in the field without specialized equipment." She offered a hand. "The name's Coco. Coco Adel."

He took it and shook firmly. "Jaune. Jaune Arc. Though there wasn't much of a choice at the time." She waved a hand dismissively before pointing behind her at what he assumed were her teammates.

"That's Fox. He doesn't talk too much, but he kicks more than enough ass to make up for it." Milky white eyes locked with his own, and their owner inclined his head.

"Yatsuhashi, but we just call him Yatsu. It's easier." The enormous man nodded at him gently, and Jaune had to fight the urge to stare at his sheer size.

"And of course Velvet. She's probably the best dust mage at Beacon that isn't a senior." The rabbit faunus waved slightly and gave him a timid smile.

He frowned, mulling their names over. "CFVY?" He asked hesitantly.

She winked at him before putting her sunglasses back on. "That's us."

A short, nondescript woman entered the room and walked to the front, coming to a stop behind a large desk. She cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention as she shuffled through a sheaf of notes. "My name is Professor Peach," she glanced up from the notes, a slight smile on her face. "I will be your professor for the theoretical and lab portions of Dust Usage and Alchemy. Professor Goodwitch will lead the practical class, as her semblance lends itself well to repairing damage. Any questions before we begin?" She scanned the room, but no one spoke or raised a hand.

She looked down at her notes and nodded to herself. "Is Jaune Arc present?" Jaune started in surprise, but tentatively raised a hand, wondering what he'd done this time. She glanced at him for a moment before checking her notes again. "You are a first year, correct?" she said, and he nodded, wondering where this was going even as whispers broke out amongst the second years.

She cleared her throat again, silencing the whispers before continuing, "In the lab portion of this class, lab groups consist of all the members of a team. I can give you a choice between being randomly assigned to a team for lab, or you can work alone for more lenient grading."

Jaune mulled it over for a moment. Being assigned to a team would be nice, but he really didn't know anyone in the class very well. If he worked alone, on the other hand, he wouldn't be able to consult with any partners, even if the grading would be easier.

Before he could make up his mind, Coco lazily raised a hand. "He can work with us, Professor," she called. "Team CFVY would be happy to have him join us."

Professor Peach looked startled for a moment and looked down at her notes uncertainly before glancing at Jaune. He thought for a second before mentally shrugging and nodding his head. She smiled, somewhat relieved, and jot something down before turning her attention to the whiteboard and writing the class summary on it.

As he automatically began copying down the information, he whispered, "Why did you do that? Not that I'm upset or anything, I'm just curious."

She tilted her sunglasses down to look him in the eyes, then winked. "Because, Jaune Arc, I find you interesting." She readjusted her sunglasses and gave him a smirk before turning away to begin writing her own notes.

* * *

"So how was it?" Pyrrha asked curiously, closing a book and turning around as he entered the room. Nora and Ren stopped playing cards and glanced up as well.

Jaune shrugged awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as he tried to find the right words to describe it. "It was okay I guess," he finally settled on. "The professor seemed a little nervous, and I didn't really know very many people, but the material was interesting. Oh!" He pounded a fist into his palm. "I ended up as part of another team!" On seeing his teammates' expressions, he quickly added, "Not a team team like us, but a lab team… group… thing. During the lab parts of class, I'll be working together with them. Coco pretty much decided that I was going to join them since I'm 'interesting.'"

"Coco?" Ren tilted his head slightly to one side.

"Yeah, she's the leader of team CFVY – that's the team I'm working with – she's pretty cool. There's also Fox, Yatsuhashi, and Velvet," he explained.

"You have a lab portion?" Nora asked, confused. "Doesn't that mean that you basically have two classes?"

Jaune's shoulders slumped. "Three," he muttered dejectedly. "There's also a practical part with Professor Goodwitch."

"Look at it this way," Pyrrha said, smiling gently. "Next year you'll know everything that we cover in class. It should be easy to ace."

"Yeah, and you can help us with any homework or projects that we have to do!" Nora exclaimed.

Jaune thought for a second before groaning. "Ugh. I just remembered that I have an essay on dust that's due in two days. Everyone else already did the reading for the essay over the summer, while I didn't even know about it until today. How the heck am I supposed to complete it in time?"

"You could ask one of the members of Team CFVY," Ren pointed out. "I'm sure that this Coco person would be willing to help you."

Jaune slumped into a chair. "I would do that, but it completely slipped my mind to ask for her or anyone on her team's scroll information. I have no idea how to contact them."

Pyrrha pondered this for a moment before hesitantly speaking up. "You could ask Weiss," she said slowly. "I'm sure that as the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company she knows quite a bit about dust."

"Wait, Weiss is the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company? I didn't know that!" Jaune exclaimed.

"You didn't know that?" Pyrrha parroted, confused.

He stared at her. "Pyrrha, I didn't know who you were until Weiss told me. Heck, I still don't remember everything she said about you," he deadpanned. "Is it really that unbelievable that I didn't know who she was?"

She had the decency to look slightly abashed. "Point taken," she murmured before clearing her throat. "The point is that she could help you with your essay. Maybe she could tutor you as well."

"Yeah, that could work," he said slowly. He sat there for a long moment before dragging himself to his feet and grabbing his textbook. "I guess that it would be better to get started sooner rather than later," he sighed as he opened the door and walked across the hall. He knocked on the door lightly and waited for a response.

"Yes?" Ruby poked her head out from the door. On seeing who it was, she opened it fully. "Hey Jaune! How's it going?"

"Okay, but it could be better," he admitted. "Can I talk to Weiss?"

Ruby tilted her head before nodding once and looking over her shoulder. "Weiss! Jaune wants to talk to you!"

He heard Weiss sigh and get up, walking to the door. Ruby smiled at him and went back to whatever she was doing before as Weiss took her place, glaring coolly at him. "Yes?" She said, tapping a foot impatiently.

He took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you would help tutor me for dust class. I have an essay that's due in two days and all the second years have done the reading, but I only learned that I was going to be in the class yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to do the readings and Pyrrha said that you could probably-"

Weiss raised a hand, prompting him to stop talking. She massaged her forehead and let out another sigh. "I get it. I can help tutor you until you catch up with everyone else. However," she glared at him. "There are conditions if you want my help."

"What conditions?" He asked, slightly nervous.

"First, no more 'Snow Angel.' I dislike that term. Second, no coming up with new nicknames. Third, no asking me out on any dates or something similar. Fourth, you have to listen to me at all times while I am tutoring you. Fifth, you owe me an unspecified favor. Are these terms acceptable?" She raised a brow and extended a hand.

Jaune hesitated for only the briefest of moments before nodding firmly and shaking her hand once. "Deal."

"Good. Now, grab your stuff; we're heading to the library. You'll need a lot more than just that textbook," she said, glancing at the book in his hands. "As the Schnee Heiress, it would reflect poorly on my family if any student of mine was ignorant on anything dust related. I hope you don't have anything planned for the next few days…"

Jaune gulped. "Is it too late to back out now?" He asked weakly.


	4. Proficiency

Chapter 4: Proficiency

Ready for some action!?

…I thought so.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY

* * *

 _Types of Dust_

 _As of now, sixteen stable types of dust are known to exist. Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Ice, Steam, Magma, Erosion, Gravity, Light, Darkness, Aether, Spatial, Temporal, and Null. Though there could theoretically be more than sixteen stable types, these sixteen have thus far been the only types to form naturally, and any other types would need to be man-made. Of these, all types except the basic forms and the final three types have been created synthetically. Spatial, Temporal, and Null dust have proven thus far impossible to synthetically craft, and occur only rarely in nature. Combined with the incredible number of potential uses, these three types are much more expensive in comparison to the forms that can be created in a laboratory._

 _While only sixteen stable types of dust have been found, many unstable types have been created. However, they quickly lose potency over time. It is speculated that the unstable types could theoretically be made stable if the exact ratio of each type of dust necessary to its creation were present. Thus far, despite the advances in the field of dust, none have managed to successfully stabilize an unstable dust type. No unstable dust has managed to retain its potency for longer than a few minutes, making their use in the field nigh impossible._

* * *

"So how are things going with our very own resident Ice Queen?" Yang asked, taking a bite out of an apple. "You two have been spending quite a bit of time together over the past two days. Who knows what you've gotten up to?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Jaune groaned. "She drove me so hard," he mumbled, head resting on his arms. "She stuffed in way too much."

Yang paused, apple halfway to her mouth. "Okay, I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but just for clarification, you're talking about studying and not something else, right?"

Jaune stared at her for a moment. "We didn't have sex, Yang," he muttered, too exhausted to care about decorum. "I don't know why I ever thought she could be an angel. She is a cruel, sadistic devil."

"I'm a what?" Weiss asked archly, taking a seat across from the two blondes, her plate laden with salad and fruit. Ruby sat down next to her, giving the two a small wave as she tried to conceal the plate full of cookies. Yang glared at her, and she wilted before sighing and getting up to grab another plate.

"You are a devil. A vile, cruel devil that deceives men with her good looks," Jaune said bluntly.

Weiss raised a brow and popped a grape into her mouth. "I'll take that as a compliment," she said lightly. "Just remember that you will be joining me for tutoring again later today, so you might not want to aggravate me."

He lifted his head off of his arms at this, staring at her in horror. "But… but…" he stammered weakly. "I finished the essay. I spent _hours_ learning about dust. You said we were _done_!"

She nodded, smiling angelically. He wasn't fooled. "And we were. For that day. Remember, I told you I would tutor you until you were completely caught up. Which means that you until you prove that you are at least equal with the top of the class, these sessions will continue."

"Wait, it doesn't work like that!" Jaune protested, rising to his feet and pointing at her accusingly.

She gazed at him coolly. "I also told you that no student of mine would be ignorant of anything dust related. I really don't care what you think; just be there on time for the tutoring session."

Jaune hesitated, groping desperately for something that would change her mind. "I thought you didn't like me! Why continue to tutor me?"

She smirked at him. "You're right. I don't like you. Which is why I find our sessions immensely cathartic."

He stared at her for a moment before turning around as Pyrrha sat down next to him. "Pyrrha," he mumbled sadly, "Weiss is being mean."

Pyrrha looked at him for a second before glancing at Weiss, who smiled winningly at her. "Um… Stop it?" It was more a question than a command.

"Jaune is having difficulty putting in the hard work necessary to excel," Weiss explained, a twinkle in her eyes. "I'm just doing my duty as his tutor to ensure that he reaches his full potential."

Pyrrha's face lit up in realization before she turned to Jaune. "Jaune, I know that it's hard in the beginning. Rest assured that it will get easier as time goes on." She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently at him. "You can do this Jaune. I believe in you."

Jaune stared at her, open-mouthed, before glaring at Weiss. She smirked at him again, and he slumped, sighing in despair as he rested his head on his arms once more.

Yang glanced between the two of them. "You are evil," she informed Weiss, looking mildly impressed. "Just two days and he's gone from asking for dates to being horrified at the very idea of you teaching him."

Jaune just groaned.

* * *

"Rough day so far?" Coco asked sympathetically as Jaune sat down next to her.

"Not really," he sighed. "It's just that my tutor for this class is a sadist."

She raised a brow. "You have a tutor? I didn't think that you knew any second years other than us."

"I don't," he admitted. "I asked Weiss. She's the Schnee heiress."

She looked at him for a moment before shaking her head. "You are one lucky guy, you know that? Not only do you survive dust infusion in the field but you also have the Schnee heiress as your tutor for a class focused on dust? Very lucky."

"Yeah, well I don't feel very lucky," he grumbled. "Like I said, she's a sadist."

She shrugged lightly. "Eh. It's just tutoring. Can't be too bad. I'm sure that it will get easier as time goes by."

"That's what Pyrrha said," he muttered.

She snapped her fingers. " _And_ you have Pyrrha Nikos as a partner. Seriously, a lot of people would kill to be in your position. It's three days into the semester and you've already got influential and experienced friends and allies. You just have to take a step back sometimes and take it all in."

Jaune sat up a little straighter at her words. "I guess you might be right," he murmured. "Maybe I need to relax a bit. Thanks Coco."

She grinned at him. "No problem. Can't have my junior looking so miserable before class even starts, can I?"

As if on cue, Peach entered the room, Goodwitch following behind her. Goodwitch took a place off to the side, while Peach stood at the front of the room, clutching her ever-present sheaf of notes. She glanced down at them before looking at the students. "Alright class, please pass your essay towards the middle of the aisle, and then pass them down towards the front." She waited patiently as the papers were passed down, taking them and tapping them on a table to align them before carefully setting them off to the side.

She cleared her throat. "Professor Goodwitch and I will be a demonstrating the practical applications of dust in combat between professional huntsmen via mock battle. Both of us are restricted to using only dust; no semblances, no weapons, only raw dust manipulation."

She placed here ever-present notes on a table before tapping one foot on the floor. A shimmering, translucent barrier sprang into view for a brief moment before fading away. She reached into pockets and withdrew a variety of gleaming crystals with each hand. Her stance changed subtly, her normally relaxed posture shifting, her eyes suddenly glinting in the light.

Goodwitch scanned the class. "Pay careful attention; while most of you will not be expected to achieve this level of proficiency, you will be expected to be able to use raw dust without any aide by the end of your time at Beacon." She turned to face Peach, her hands suddenly filled with crystals of their own, and subtly inclined her head.

A sudden increase in pressure forced the class deeper into their seats as Goodwitch carelessly threw a light grey dust crystal high into the air before it was shattered into particles by an invisible hammer of air. Wind howled as it was drawn to a single point, folding in on itself and compressing before it was ignited by a small spark. Fire roared to life, heat emanating from the sphere so strongly that the barrier flickered. The ball of flame and air was sent hurtling towards the dust professor and exploded, a raging firestorm erupting from the point of contact. The walls took on a waxy appearance and began to liquefy as flames lashed out, globules dripping down the sides.

The firestorm vanished, snuffed out as quickly as it arrived, revealing a shimmering watery veil concealing Peach from view. A lance of water shot forth from the veil, hurtling towards the deputy headmistress before a chunk of masonry ripped itself from the floor, intercepting the deadly spear and forcing it to harmlessly disperse. More lances burst forth, and in response the floor was destroyed even further as more chunks were ripped away to intercept the projectiles, until a wall of floating rock divided the professors.

The ground began to visibly tremble, the inside of the barrier quaking erratically. Metal pipes were suddenly torn from the ground, water spraying through the air as the plumbing itself was ripped from the earth. The water spewing forth froze solid, small pellets of ice hanging in midair before rocketing towards the wall of earth.

"Holy shit," Coco breathed. "This is insane. They're going to tear apart the classroom."

The dust professor held up a rust colored crystal in one hand before clenching it into a fist, shattering it. Almost immediately the wall of earth began to dissolve as the water coating it ate away at its surface at a prodigious rate, leaving Goodwitch unprotected. The deputy headmistress looked startled for a moment as the ice sped towards her, but her eyes narrowed and a red hot barrier of magma rose around her, shielding her from the pellets of ice.

Peach looked at the barrier for a moment, frowning, before she withdrew a brilliant white and a gleaming yellow crystal in one hand, an almost translucent crystal in the other. The light around the room dimmed slightly, forming into a glittering spear as the dust professor lifted the white crystal, palming the yellow. The spear raced towards Goodwitch, eerily silent, and collided with the magma harmlessly as the room dimmed more and more, shafts of light forming and launching with increasing speed.

The magma barrier fell, and darkness burst forth in a wave, enveloping the light spears as it raced towards the dust professor. Peach smiled a feral smile, crushing the translucent crystal she held. Almost instantly, all sources of illumination flickered violently, light coalescing into an enormous arrow that raced forward, tearing through the darkness. The deputy headmistress's eyes widened and she dove out of the way as the arrow rocketed past, the barrier wavering alarmingly as it impacted. Goodwitch staggered to her feet, but before she could regain her bearings, Peach's eyes gleamed and she clenched her fist, crushing the almost forgotten yellow crystal. Electricity surged forth, lancing through the air mere inches to the side of the deputy headmistress's head.

Goodwitch froze, then relaxed, tilting her head to one side in concession of her defeat. Peach released a breath, slumping into her normal posture before snapping her fingers. The barrier shimmered and fell, and the room was suddenly filled with the smell of acrid smoke, fresh water, and burning rock.

There was a moment of stunned silence as the students processed what had just happened before applause rang out, and Peach ducked her head and blushed slightly. Goodwitch retrieved her riding crop and waved it, the room slowly repairing itself as she directed it back together before slumping slightly, energy drained.

"As you just saw," Peach called, "if used properly, raw dust manipulation can be just as destructive as any other method of using dust. However, this was raw manipulation taken to the extreme; in order to fully maximize its potential, dust crystals are shattered while aura is channeled through them, releasing all the energy in a focused burst."

She took a deep breath before exhaling. "Alternatively, the user can merely channel aura through a crystal, preserving the crystal's powers for a longer period of time but to much decreased effect. Though weaker, this is the preferred method, since dust of high enough purity to be used for combat is quite expensive. The crystals we fought with cost nearly ten thousand lien total; not an insignificant amount of money."

A murmur ran through the room at the cost of the dust used. Goodwitch spoke up. "The dust you will be using during practical training is considerably less expensive, and you will not be shattering it. This demonstration was meant to drive home the destructive power and potential of dust; it is not to be used lightly."

Peach nodded. "Merely becoming proficient in using raw dust is an expensive and time consuming process. Reach too far too fast, and you will be destroyed by the very dust you seek to control." A bell chimed, signaling the end of class. Peach raised her voice as the students began to talk amongst themselves and pack their bags. "No homework for today. Instead of coming to this classroom tomorrow, make your way to the main courtyard. Class dismissed."

* * *

"So how was class?" Pyrrha asked, turning away from the homework she was working on. Nora and Ren looked up from the board game they were playing.

Jaune hesitated for a moment. "Exciting," he said firmly.

Pyrrha raised a brow, clearly interested. "Oh?"

"Professor Goodwitch and Professor Peach fought a mock battle using only raw dust," he explained. "By the end of it, the walls were melting, the floor was ripped open, the plumbing was torn from the ground, and there was magma all over the place."

She stared at him for a moment, then blinked. "Wow. That sounds pretty impressive. I guess that explains why the water suddenly stopped working a while ago."

"Where can I get my hands on some raw dust?" Nora mused, an expression of utmost concentration on her face. "And how much would I be able to get?"

"Nora, no," Ren said sternly. "No raw dust. Not only is it dangerous to use untrained, but there's no way I'm letting you near something else that can cause mass property damage. Magnhild is bad enough already."

"But Ren," she protested, "just think of everything that I could do with it!"

He thought for a moment, then shuddered violently. "You definitely aren't getting your hands on any raw dust," he muttered. She scowled angrily at him before huffing and turning back to the game. Ren shrugged and focused on the game again.

Pyrrha offered Jaune a small smile before returning to her homework, and Jaune pulled out a comic book, barely reading the panels as he idly flipped through it, thinking. JNPR sat in comfortable silence for several long minutes before Jaune rose, grabbing a textbook. "Well, I'd better get to the library. I don't want to keep Weiss waiting for too long." He left the room as his team called their goodbyes and made his way down the halls towards the library. He spotted Weiss as soon as he entered, and sat down across from her.

"I almost thought you wouldn't show up," she said, gazing at him coolly. "Are you ready to start?"

He nodded once. "More than ready now that I've found something to aim for."

She looked at him critically, then nodded slowly. "I see. In that case, dust comes in sixteen…"

* * *

Omake: Weiss's tutoring session

"So what are you going to have me do?" Jaune asked curiously as they sat down in the library

Weiss glanced up at him. "I'm going to have you read the textbook for now while I create a small quiz to test which areas you are lacking. I'll tell you when I finish."

"That sounds reasonable," Jaune agreed, pulling out his textbook and cracking it open before beginning to read the first chapter. _Dust is what powers civilization…_

Three hours later he glanced up. "Hey Weiss, are you… done?" He stared at the huge stack of paper in front of the white haired girl.

She glanced up at him. "Just about. I could add more material, but it some of it would be redundant. I suppose that this is good enough for now." She pushed the stack of papers towards him and he took it numbly.

He took a peek at the bottom most page and his eyes widened. _'Three hundred questions? How the heck did she write that many in such a short period of time?'_ He wondered, before looking up at the heiress. She gestured at him as if to tell him to get a move on, and he sighed before mournfully beginning the 'small quiz.'

He stretched and put his pencil down four hours later, exhausted. "Weiss, I finished," he said tiredly. "We're done now, right? It's nearly two in the morning."

She thought about it for a moment. "Let me see your results." He handed the paper to her and she scanned it quickly, comparing it to a sheet in front of her. "No," she decided firmly, "we're not done yet."

"Wait, what?" Jaune hissed. "Weiss, it's nearly two!"

She nodded once. "And your scores were so bad that you're going to need all the help that you can get. Don't worry, I'll only cover the material in chapter one of your textbook." Jaune sighed in relief, but froze as she continued, "however, since that textbook is woefully inadequate, I'll be supplementing it with other books as well. Don't worry, it shouldn't take more than four hours."

Jaune sat there numbly, wondering whether it would be worse to sit and continue to work on dust or jump out the window and run for his dorm room. He threw a longing glance at the window before deciding against it. Weiss would just catch him and force him to learn more if he tried to escape. He sighed again, resigning himself to a sleepless night in the Beacon library.


End file.
